The current system, rests on a precarious and complex (or should I say, chaotic?) relationship between public and private healthcare providers and the insurance industry. Sadly, reform may not be possible until Americans get much, much angrier about how badly they are being let down by the system that's supposed to serve them. A great place to start your reading is the editorial in today's New York Times. Titled "World's Best Medical Care?," it neatly summarizes not just how the US needs to do better, but also describes how badly the US is doing in relation to the rest of the developed world. The key issues: forty-five million uninsured, many more underinsured, and quality of care that varies wildly depending on the size of the patient's wallet.

What about diabetes? Surprise! The news is not good. According to the Times editorial, the US came in last in an eight-country comparison of lives lost to a number of major diseases, one of which being diabetes.

The Democratic presidential candidates all know this: whoever gets the nomination has an excellent shot at making it to the White House. First, though, is the long, hard, down and dirty campaign slog in which each candidate has to do the impossible - try and be all things to all people.

One thing we can except is that they all devote a little time to addressing diabetes. Specifically, finding a cure for type 1 diabetes and strategies for containing the unprecedented spread of type 2 diabetes. The type 2 "epidemic" (as it is sometimes called) is all the more serious because of the strain it is adding to the US healthcare system, a system already failing to meet the needs of many Americans.

During Monday night's CNN/YouTube debate, the candidates were asked about their plans for the healthcare system. Click here to read what they had to say about health issues. Two of the candidates, Senator Chris Dodd (CT) and Governor Bill Richardson (NM), both mentioned diabetes and their desire to cope with the problem, but they didn't get a chance to go into detail in the context of a televised debate. Such is the world we live in, folks! Visit CNN to read a transcript of the debate.

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton has joined with other New York lawmakers to push for Congressional funding to fight the spread of type 2 in that state. The requested sum? $120 million. Click here to check out Allie's take on that issue.

2007 is well underway, and we are already seeing some change here in the U.S. Maybe not big changes, per se, but still some improvements from last year.

Case in point: Trans Fats. Toward the tail end of 2006, many fast food and snack food companies agreed to prepare their food with safer and healthier vegetable-based oils, thereby eliminating trans fats. Now into 2007, it seems as this change is fully coming to fruition, with McDonald's, Wendy's and even Frito Lay offering trans fat-free versions of their staple foods.

This is just one example of change. Spend about a minute thinking about other ways in which the U.S. has already changed in 2007, and you'll find it much easier a task than you might expect.

But, one very unfortunate thing that has not changed in 2007 -- and does not show signs of changing in the near future -- are the problems of the U.S. health care system.

Still the only major industrialized nation in the world without universal health insurance, the U.S. also continues to have a huge coverage gap -- with the number of uninsured people increasing from 40 million in 2000 to 47 million in 2005. As for 2007, that figure is even higher.

According to the Institute of Medicine, an estimated 18,000 lives are lost annually due to gaps in coverage. And while some states have implemented strategies and initiatives to help make coverage affordable by creating subsidized programs and creating an insurance pool for small businesses and the self-employed, most of these initiatives are not taking place in the states that have the greatest need. As a result, the coverage gap remains.

So, as 2007 continues on, the U.S. health care system will be one of the few things that will go unchanged. Fragmented, uncoordinated and unevenly distributed; the health care system is plagued by high administrative costs and missed opportunities to control chronic and life threatening conditions.